JUNE 2022

TRP in India

TRP, or Target Rating Point, is a system to measure the popularity of a program. It was introduced in 1975 in the United States of America and has been used worldwide since then. 

TRP system was introduced in India in 1999 and is calculated based on ‘Television viewership in percentage’. Indian television industry uses BAR-O-meters in approximately 44,000 homes to calculate TRPs.

The TRP system and advertisement revenue have always been intertwined in India. It is essential because it directly affects the broadcaster’s revenue. 

• 'टी.आर.पी' (TRP) - दोषपूर्ण तब भी शक्तिशाली प्रभावक 

More advertisement revenue meant higher investment into quality programs. Many factors contribute to a program’s quality, such as a story, acting, directing, intellectual weight and production values.

TRP is a system that was introduced with good intentions. It was supposed to help promote quality programming and give viewers a way to hold channels accountable for the content they were putting out.

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However, TRP had the opposite effect. Due to how it is designed, TRP incentivizes channels to produce cheap, low-quality content that appeals to the lowest common denominator. 

Some say that in the race to get better TRP, broadcasting channels and producers are resorting to cheap and populist tactics that harm society, particularly in a country like India, where television plays a significant role in people’s lives.

Off lately, TRP has been under fire in recent years for its alleged degradation of content. The higher the TRP, the more expensive it is for companies to place ads on that channel or during that programme, and vice versa. 

Some critics, therefore, have argued that TRP-driven advertising leads to the degradation of information content on television.

It has been found that TRP promotes poor quality content as programs with shock value generate higher TRPs. In addition, they are often inaccurate, leading to inadequate quality programs being unfairly rewarded and good programs being overlooked. 

Finally, it can lead to lower-quality programs getting more airtime simply because they can draw in a larger audience.

The consequence of poor-quality content

TRP is often criticized for promoting a populist culture, as programs with high TRPs typically appeal to the lowest common denominator.

 It can start to degradation of artistic quality, as TRP- chasing broadcasters are more likely to invest in low-brow programs that lack depth or substance. 

It has been argued that the TRP system encourages channels to air programs that are low in quality and are full of violence, cheap drama, sex, and vulgarity. It starts a general deterioration of values in society.

Not only that, but it has also contributed to the rise of populism in India. TRP dictates what viewers want to watch, which is not always an accurate reflection of reality. Hence, TRP-driven channels are helping to create a society that is more prone to believe in conspiracy theories and fake news.

• 'टी.आर.पी' (TRP) - दोषपूर्ण तब भी शक्तिशाली प्रभावक 

The TRP system is detrimental to developing a healthy culture as populist culture is promoted over more high-quality information and art. 

It also starts a general dumbing down of society. In turn, it harms society as a whole as people are fed information that is designed to be quickly consumed and forgotten rather than being thoughtful or thought-provoking

Consequently, TRP system-driven programs often degrade the quality of public discourse and lead to a less informed society.

Today, India is witness to loud, rowdy, abusive prime-time discussions on news channels. It is an after-effect of TRP-guided programs.

 Additionally, TRP-driven programming often amplifies negative stereotypes and promotes toxic values. The TRP system has also been accused of causing information pollution.

TRP should be reformed to create a more balanced and fair information dissemination system.

Research has shown that TRP-motivated programming targets the poor and marginalized sections of society, furthering their marginalization. 

Moreover, it results in glorifying a particular type of culture and further widening the urban-rural, rich-poor, educated-uneducated divide.

TRP systems are often seen as a way for the rich and powerful to manipulate the masses by catering to their lowest common denominator. 

• 'टी.आर.पी' (TRP) - दोषपूर्ण तब भी शक्तिशाली प्रभावक 

A society that is divided between those who have access to high-quality information, and those who don’t, is already prevalent in India. TRP systems are thus seen as a way to divide society along economic and intellectual lines further.

Additionally, the TRP system is flawed, and conflict of interest is its biggest problem. The TRP system is vulnerable to manipulation by those with a vested interest in seeing specific programs succeed. 

A few private agencies calculate it, often accused of being biased. TRPs have always been a debatable topic because it is prone to manipulation. There are many ways to manipulate TRPs like; as distribution of BAR-O-meters, Selection of target audience etc.

TRP also does not account for viewership from digital platforms like YouTube, which are proliferating at a rapid pace. In light of these problems, TRP is not an accurate measure of a program’s popularity. The advertisers are continuing to pay based on wrong information.

Finally, TRPs do not always reflect a program’s quality; they only measure the number of people tuned in.

Mistaking the program’s quality for popularity is TRP’s fundamental flaw.

Hence, when viewers buy products advertised in high TRP programs, they are, in turn, funding the degradation of Indian culture, values and intellectual downfall. 

The programs should gradually uplift society with higher and deeper content rather than using low-grade programs to feed the masses.

TRP as a symptom of a problem

TRP is merely a symptom of that more significant problem. TRP system in India is often accredited for promoting a cheap, populist culture. 

The TRP system has indeed led to cheaper and poorer quality information. However, TRP is not solely responsible for the degradation of culture in India. The TRP system is a symptom of a deeper problem in Indian society.

The system merely reflects the demand for cheap and poorly made content. In a society where poor people lack access to quality information, it is unsurprising that they would prefer toxic entertainment over more sober, mature and higher-quality content.

The real problem lies in the fact that India is a society where people are poor and lack access to quality information. So the root cause lies in the poverty and lack of education of the Indian masses.

• 'टी.आर.पी' (TRP) - दोषपूर्ण तब भी शक्तिशाली प्रभावक 

It is not to say that all TRP-driven content is terrible, but it is vital to be aware of how the system can distort the information that people receive.

However, many have defended the TRP system as a valuable tool for measuring viewer preferences. Nevertheless, controlling the selections can be considered against the free will of the masses and goes against the democratic essence and freedom to choose.

The argument will continue.